I love starting to work with a new client. It’s reinvigorating to work with a new person to establish their goals and a plan for accomplishing them. You probably feel the same way. But do you wonder if you’re doing everything the right way?
To help you determine if you’re starting new clients on the right track, we’ve asked several expert coaches one question:
“What’s the biggest mistake you see trainers make when taking on a new client?”
“The biggest mistake I see trainers make when taking on new clients is talking at them, not with them. As trainers, we get excited to share all of our knowledge with new clients and may stop listening to them too soon. Suddenly, we are doing the majority of the talking.
For me, this happens because new clients share commonalities, so the initial conversation with the client feels similar to past conversations with other clients. However, this does a disservice to the new client. We need to build a trusting relationship with them, but this relationship cannot develop if the new client doesn’t feel listened to.
My advice is to notice who is doing most of the talking. If it’s you, ask more open-ended questions to give the new client an opportunity to express themselves more deeply.”
—Joel A. Silva, CPT, CYT, CGFI, CTRX | Exhalo Fortis
I’d love to add your expert opinion here too! Please reach out to me with your answer to the question above.